Nils Wachtmeister

What people wore

Gendered Wardrobe Values and Quantities 1870-1899

In the 1870s, the average female wardrobe comprised 76 garments valued at 58 SEK, whereas the average male wardrobe contained 46 garments valued at 53 SEK. By the 1890s, the value of the average female wardrobe had fallen to 30 SEK for 69 items, while the male wardrobe remained more stable at 52 SEK for 45 items.

Getting around

Horse-drawn travel costs and stations

By the end of 1895, Sweden had 1,518 roadside stations for horse-drawn travel, with an average distance of 25 kilometers between them. A conveyance with one horse typically cost about 16 öre per kilometer.

At the table

Shared meals and market sausage prices

Peasant families ate soured milk called fillebunke from a large shared trough using individual wooden spoons. On the market, factory workers could buy three sausages for 25 öre to share as a meal.

Music

Herding Calls in Mountain Pastures

Women working in mountain pastures used a distinct vocal technique called kula or other dialectal names to communicate with cattle over distances up to 5 kilometers. This powerful, high-pitched call was used for hours during their 3-4 month stays in the pastures.

Daily life

Mandatory schooling for children

A school law mandated that children attend school between the ages of seven and fourteen, moving society toward a norm where children were expected to study rather than work at home. Education emphasized reading, writing, arithmetic, and increasingly, practical skills like domestic economy and gymnastics.

What it cost

Weekly wages and food costs

A worker in Stockholm might earn 15 to 16 kronor per week, while a weekly food basket containing items like 2 kilograms of pork, 5 kilograms of bread, and 15 liters of potatoes cost 12.06 kronor.